"That means nothing," she blustered. "We've always been good like that. If you were listening to anything I said before, you'd know I wanted more."
"I'm ready to give you more," he said, the words like a promise.
She shook her head, furious. "Don't you dare toy with me. I would hope you knew your own mind enough that you wouldn't go from 'a lusty marriage only' to 'anything you want' in the space of a few weeks. A few weeks that we were apart and not working through this together, I might add." She pressed her fingers to her temple. "You made everything clear to me the last time we saw each other, and although I disagreed at the time, I've come to see that you were right about everything."
"No. No, I wasn't. I was a bloody--"
"I want you to know that I wish you every happiness," she interrupted coolly, and closed the door on his achingly handsome face.
But it only bought her a day. The next, he was back like a dog at a bone, continuing his pursuit. As there were only weeks left until the Court was hers, she resolved to avoid him at all costs.
Eluding him was as easy as it had been on the island. Anytime the dogs barked, she left the house or read in her closet by candlelight. Once, she and Mrs. Huckabee were in the kitchen when they heard him striding through the house. The woman had cocked a meaty hip into Tori, sending her flying into the larder just before Grant walked in. Another time, Huck had hidden her in the hayloft where she was silently trampled by a litter of adoring barn kittens.
The growing number of days she evaded him was satisfying.
Curse it, it was.
Victoria had accepted life without him, which was unacceptable.
As Grant drummed the door at the Court, he replayed for the hundredth time the unflinching look Victoria had given him the first day he'd returned. Grant had prepared for her anger. Her resignation was far worse. But she'd fought for him; he would do no less by her.
Plot, organize, fight, conquer. It worked in business. After much coaxing, he'd garnered support from his mother and Nicole, and if he couldn't find Victoria, he'd run Camellia to ground and recruit her as well.
But Camellia did not seem pleased to see him. Actually, at the front door she said, "I can't say I'm pleased to see you." She let him into the house, at least.
The difference in her appearance floored Grant. Gone was the thin, ailing woman, replaced by a comely, vibrant one. "Miss Scott, you're looking well."
He thought she would smile or thank him. Instead, she glared. "Why should I even speak to you? You've hurt Tori terribly."
"I know--I can explain that. I had to go after Ian--"
"She knows why you ran off. But not to even send word? To check on her?"
"I thought she felt well rid of me. Especially when I left here that last morning."
In a saucy tone, Camellia mumbled to herself, "She feels that way now."
"Damn it, Camellia. I thought the time apart would dim her anger toward me. And it would have if the earl hadn't died before I returned."
"The only reason I'm speaking to you is because your mother and sister-in-law wrote and asked me to," Camellia said as she led him into the parlor. "You're lucky Tori's out for the entire day."
When she took her seat in one of the few chairs, Grant sat as well. "This isn't easy for me to ask for your help."
"Why on earth should I help you? You broke her heart."
He frowned, thinking of Victoria's cool words to him. "She's not behaving like her heart's broken."
"No, but you're looking it."
He nodded, knowing she was right.
"No more than you deserve." Her tone was cutting, shockingly so.
"My God, I liked you better addled."
She narrowed her eyes.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry. I just want to marry her, spoil her--"
"Love her?"
He looked her in the eye. "More than anything."
"So that's why Amanda and Nicole were so adamant. I'm surprised you told them."
He threw up his hands. "I talk about this to anyone who'll listen. The bloody stable boy knows I'm devoted."
"Well, what do you propose?"
"She said before that there was no affection, no ease between us. I know no one will trick her into meeting me. So what can I do? I want to show her there can be affection between us, but it's impossible when I have to hunt her down. And the one meeting we had since I returned was rushed."
"And, of course, you were nervous."
"I was not nervous." At her disbelieving expression, he grumbled, "There's a lot riding on this." Moving them back to the subject, he said, "I want to be with her alone and uninterrupted for the remainder of the month at least."
She shook her head. "Tori won't leave, and if she did, she'd be so distracted thinking about all the work she needed to be doing that it'd be like she was still at the Court anyway."
"Then I have to be here. With her alone."
"You'll ruin her reputation," Camellia pointed out. "You can't just live with her."
Grant had already planned for this argument. "The Court is isolated. I know you don't get visitors. The villagers and the Huckabees are loyal to their bones. Think about it--if they weren't, the papers would have been here to follow the story of the castaways. And I know your nearest neighbor, the baron. He's a good man who would never gossip."
Camellia was silent for some time, clearly torn.
Grant saw her waver, and pressed. "If worse comes to worst, my mother has agreed to say she was chaperoning here the entire time."
Finally, Camellia said, "Tori's had some papers drawn up. She wants
you to sign them and swear off your claim." She studied him. "I might help if you signed them--"
"Done."
"--and left them with me." Camellia raised her eyebrows. "If you don't make her fall for you in two weeks, you lose her and the Court. Are you willing to do that?"
"I want her." His hands clenched. "Bugger the rest."
Camellia coughed delicately at his language, then said, "I'll trust you on this, but only because I know she loves you. But if you hurt her..."
"I won't."
She pointed her finger at him. "And don't you dare offer her money or try to fix this. She wants--she needs--this for herself."
A quick nod. "Agreed."
"So, alone, you said?"
"If possible."
Her brows knitted in thought. "The Huckabees moved back into their cottage recently. They'd only been in the manor house to care for the earl. And as for me..."
"Perhaps you could visit Whitestone?"
"Oh, I'll just tell her I'm having a torrid affair with that baron and am going to his hunting lodge for a couple of weeks."
Grant straightened. "I wouldn't ask you to lie."
She blinked up at him. "It's not a lie."
Thirty
The roof on the sheep barn?" Tori asked Huckabee in one of their thrice-weekly office meetings.
"We're still getting estimates for materials."
"The shearing?"
"We've got a crew coming in later this spring. But they're going to want half their fee up front."
She sighed loudly. "I'll find it somewhere. The low acres?"
"We've contracted to have them drained by the end of the month."
Her eyes narrowed. "In time for planting?"
He checked a smile. "Aye, miss."
"Let's meet at the barn tomorrow and go over the repairs."
"Right after breakfast, then?"
She nodded, amazed at his unwavering enthusiasm. For some reason, Huckabee was delighted with how she was doing. Mrs. Huckabee related that he'd said he'd never worked for anyone as involved and knowledgeable as she was coming to be. He charged out with a spring in his step and his shoulders back.